Weekend Athlete: 2008 Scion xB

An Ironman triathlete I know has the previous-generation xB, so I was excited to see how the redesigned 2008 xB did with my non-Ironman triathlon gear and camping stuff. Verdict: It's pretty darn good.

The xB ties the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid from last week’s test. Its seats are easier to fold, and the cargo area is close to the same size despite the fact that the car itself is tiny.

While the xB carries the camping and racing stuff OK, it did remind me of my old studio apartment: Everything had its place, but you couldn't bring anything new into the mix without it feeling cluttered. There's just not a lot of extra space in the cargo area or driver/passenger compartment once you're loaded up. It'd be a fine two-person camping car, and maybe a third could tag along, but four would be too much.

First Drive: 2008 Scion xB

Scion's probably not going to want to hear this, what with its obsessive drive to gain the hearts and minds of this country's youth, but the lasting image I have of the xB is of a gray-haired woman in my neighborhood who drives one, complete with a sticker on its side touting AEM performance parts. Doesn't quite align with the image Scion wants, does it? No matter, because here at KickingTires we think that if a car fits your needs, it doesn't matter if you're 17 or 70 years old.

The redesigned 2008 xB, which is on sale now and has a starting price of $15,650, is the second generation of Scion's successful mini-box first introduced for the 2004 model year. The new xB remains as distinctive as its predecessor, even though the edges have been rounded a bit here and there. It rides on an all-new platform, is 12 inches longer than before and features a more powerful four-cylinder engine borrowed from the company's tC sports coupe. Scion lent me the keys to the new xB for a brief drive recently, and I came away impressed with its overall execution and pleasantly surprised by its fun-to-drive nature. A full Cars.com review will be forthcoming, but here are some initial impressions.

New 2008 Scion xB Pricing Announced

Following up on its debut at the Chicago Auto Show in February, the new Scion xB got its price tag today while the world was watching things in New York City. The base xB with a five-speed manual transmission will start at $15,650, a significant $1,620 over the outgoing model. The xB with an automatic transmission will start at $16,600, a bump of $1,770.

The price increase seems warranted, as the engine is significantly more powerful and the xB now comes with standard stability control, antilock brakes, a tire pressure monitoring system, front side airbags and two-row side curtain airbags. Cruise control and 16-inch wheels are also standard. 

We also learned the xB will arrive at dealerships in early May, not April, as Scion originally stated.

Related:
2007 Chicago Auto Show: Scion xB and xD Video
2007 Chicago Auto Show: More on the 2008 Scion xB, Arriving in April

2007 Chicago Auto Show: Scion xB and xD Video

Last week, Cars.com Senior Editor Joe Wiesenfelder spent some up-close-and-personal time with the all-new Scion xB and xD subcompacts, and we got it all on film. Well, digital film anyway, and the video is now live on our Chicago Auto Show page. Go check it out and see how much legroom that xB really has.

Related:
Five Axis Dresses the xB and xD
2007 Chicago Auto Show: More on the 2008 Scion xD, Arriving in August
2007 Chicago Auto Show: More on the 2008 Scion xB, Arriving in April

Five Axis Dresses the xB and xD

As fast as you could say “xB and xD,” Scion wheeled out aftermarket versions of its latest crop of compact cars. The automaker gave an xB and xD to California-based Five Axis, the brains behind Scion’s Fuse concept from last year’s New York Auto Show. The cars came back spruced up with enough aftermarket gear to earn them background spots on “4Fast 4Furious: Seoul Food.” (We’re kidding on that, we hope.)

On the xB, there’s enough go to match the show. A supercharger and a cold-air intake system from Toyota’s TRD performance wing boosts power from 158 hp to around 200 hp. A new suspension lowers the car 2 inches, and six-spoke 19-inch wheels wear Yokohama tires. A wraparound body kit is there because, well, every tuner car needs a body kit.

2007 Chicago Auto Show: More on the 2008 Scion xB, Arriving in April

News this morning is that the all-new 2008 Scion xB will go on sale this April. No prices have been announced. After seeing it in person, we can say it has a lot of room in the cabin for passengers, but with the rear-seats folded down there doesn’t seem to be as much room as there was on the almost cargo-van-like floor of the past xB because of a high floor height.

Full iPod connectivity also comes standard, with an added auxiliary jack for those who use non-iPod portable players. Scion also brought out a customized version that uses specialized parts that can be ordered at dealerships, including the TRD supercharger available on the tC coupe that adds 25% more hp.

We were impressed. Check out the horde of photos below and tell us what you think.

2007 Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Scion xB

Kelsey Mays already wrote his full report of the Scion xB, which is going to roll out officially at the Chicago Auto Show tomorrow. Therefore we only have a few images that Toyota has allowed us to show.

The all-new xB is based on a new small car platform for Toyota and gets a radical redesign. Gone is the upright box, leaving a leaning rhomboid in its place. The lower profile changes the overall look tremendously, but it doesn’t seem much bigger from the outside even though the new car is larger inside and out.

A 158-hp four-cylinder gives the xB a lot more power and puts it on an even playing field with the Honda Element. We’ll have a lot more information and photos tomorrow, including interior shots, but for now check out the newest Scion on the block.

Related:
Scion to Reveal Updated xB and All-New xD in Chicago

Scion to Reveal Updated xB and All-New xD in Chicago

News about the Chicago Auto Show is flying fast and furious now. Scion, Toyota’s hip offshoot, will debut a redesigned version of its popular xB and the all-new xD — which replaces the outgoing and not-so-popular xA — in Chicago next month. This is huge news for the Chicago show, and we should be hearing more about other debuts as we get closer to the media preview days of Feb 7 and 8.

If you can’t make it to Chicago and enjoy the virtual game Second Life, the company will also be holding a virtual press conference in that game environment simultaneously to the in-the-flesh event we’ll be attending. Ah, the digital age. 

New Crop of Subcompacts Crash-Tested: Nissan Versa Wins, Most Others Lose

Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its first study of the new crop of “mini cars” like the Chevy Aveo and Toyota Yaris. Its findings are quite damning for many of the models and the organization prefaces the entire study with the fact that overall crashes involving mini cars are twice as likely to result in death compared to midsize and large cars. This surely falls in line with the laws of physics, but it’s still jarring to read.

The IIHS tested six new mini cars and the Nissan Versa — somewhat larger but often considered in shopping comparisons, including Cars.com’s. Only the larger Versa received the IIHS’s highest ratings in all three crash tests. Two other cars — the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit with optional and standard side airbags respectively —  received the top grade of good in front and side crash tests, with the Yaris rating a marginal score and the Fit a poor score in the rear crash test ratings. The Yaris without optional side airbags — a $650 option — received the worst side impact rating of poor.

Scion Holds Back Production, Sales to Stay Hip

Scion has had a meteoric rise since it debuted in the U.S. a few years ago. With only three models for sale, the Toyota-owned brand will beat its projected goal of 150,000 cars sold in 2006. Most automakers would look at that success, drool and ramp up production. Not Scion.

The company says it will stem production next year to stay under that 150,000 mark. Why? Officials want the brand to have an exclusive feel, and think the less people see on the road the more buyers will want them.

Of course, this could all just be a ploy for the press, as two models — the xA and xB — will be retired in the spring and replaced with two new models. Any gaps in those moves could limit sales as well. Either way, Scion sure seems to care more about street cred than any other brand on the market.

[A Way Cool Strategy: Toyota's Scion Plans to Sell Fewer Cars, The Wall Street Journal]

Related:
Scion Unveils xB Release Series 4.0
Scion xA and xB to be Replaced in Spring 2007